Big picture mode is nigh! In a profile of Valve Corporation, the New York Times reports that Steam's much anticipated big picture mode will go into beta on Monday. Valve say it'll bring 'simple, easy-to-read navigation designed specifically for TV' letting players flop back into their sofas without having to debase themselves with the frail hardware of the current console crop.

'Steam's big-picture mode doesn't require any additional development from you,' Valve assures developers on the official big picture mode site. 'Just ensure your game works well with a controller, and we'll take care of the rest. And don't worry, keyboard and mouse aren't going anywhere ' users will be able to switch between input devices at any time.'

There's no word from Valve yet on how this 'public test' of the feature will unravel ' but we'll update as soon as we hear.